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Public Law 92-237
92nd Congress, S. 7
March 1, 1972
An act
86 STAT. 44
To provide for the establishment of the Buffalo National River in the State of
Arkansas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled. That for the purposes
of conserving and interpreting an area containing unique scenic
and scientific features, and preserving as a free-flowing stream an
important segment of the Buffalo River in Arkansas for the benefit
and enjoyment of present and future generations, the Secretary of the
Interior (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretary") may establish
and administer the Buffalo National River. The boundaries of the
national river shall be as generally depicted on the drawing entitled
"Proposed Buffalo National River" numbered NR-BUF-7103 and
dated December 1967, which shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of
the Interior. The Secretary is authorized to make minor revisions of
the boundaries of the national river when necessary, after advising
the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States
House of Representatives and the United States Senate in writing,
but the total acreage within such boundaries shall not exceed
ninety-five thousand seven hundred and thirty acres.
Sec. 2. (a) Within the boundaries of the Buffalo National River,
the Secretary may acquire lands and waters or interests therein by
donation, purchase or exchange, except that lands owned by the State
of Arkansas or a political subdivision thereof may be acquired only by
donation: Provided, That the Secretary may, with funds appropriated
for development of the area, reimburse such State for its share of the
cost of facilities developed on State park lands if such facilities were
developed in a manner approved by the Secretary and if the
development of such facilities commenced subsequent to the enactment of this
Act: Provided further, That, such reimbursement shall not exceed a
total of $375,000. When an individual tract of land is only partly
within the boundaries of the national river, the Secretary may acquire
all of the tract by any of the above methods in order to avoid the
payment of severance costs. Land so acquired outside of the boundaries of
the national river may be exchanged by the Secretary for non-Federal
lands within the national river boundaries, and any portion of the
land not utilized for such exchanges may be disposed of in accordance
with the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377; 40 U.S.Ct 471 et seq.), as amended.
With the concurrence of the agency having custody thereof, any
Federal property within the boundaries of the national river may be
transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the
Secretary for administration as part of the national river.
(b) Except for property which the Secretary determines to be
necessary for the purposes of administration, development, access or public
use, an owner or owners (hereafter referred to as "owner") of any
improved property which is used solely for noncommercial residential
purposes on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary or any owner
of lands used solely for agricultural purposes (including, but not limited
to, grazing) may retain, as a condition of the acquisition of such
property or lands, a right of use and occupancy of such property for
such residential or agricultural purposes. The term of the right
retained shall expire upon the death of the owner or the death of his
spouse, whichever occurs later, or in lieu thereof, after a definite term
which shall not exceed twenty-five years after the date of acquisition.
The owner shall elect, at the time of conveyance, the term of the right
Buffalo National River, Ark, Establishment,
Lands and waters, acquisition.
Retention rights.

Public Law 92-237
92nd Congress, S. 7
March 1, 1972
An act
86 STAT. 44
To provide for the establishment of the Buffalo National River in the State of
Arkansas, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled. That for the purposes
of conserving and interpreting an area containing unique scenic
and scientific features, and preserving as a free-flowing stream an
important segment of the Buffalo River in Arkansas for the benefit
and enjoyment of present and future generations, the Secretary of the
Interior (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretary") may establish
and administer the Buffalo National River. The boundaries of the
national river shall be as generally depicted on the drawing entitled
"Proposed Buffalo National River" numbered NR-BUF-7103 and
dated December 1967, which shall be on file and available for public
inspection in the offices of the National Park Service, Department of
the Interior. The Secretary is authorized to make minor revisions of
the boundaries of the national river when necessary, after advising
the Committees on Interior and Insular Affairs of the United States
House of Representatives and the United States Senate in writing,
but the total acreage within such boundaries shall not exceed
ninety-five thousand seven hundred and thirty acres.
Sec. 2. (a) Within the boundaries of the Buffalo National River,
the Secretary may acquire lands and waters or interests therein by
donation, purchase or exchange, except that lands owned by the State
of Arkansas or a political subdivision thereof may be acquired only by
donation: Provided, That the Secretary may, with funds appropriated
for development of the area, reimburse such State for its share of the
cost of facilities developed on State park lands if such facilities were
developed in a manner approved by the Secretary and if the
development of such facilities commenced subsequent to the enactment of this
Act: Provided further, That, such reimbursement shall not exceed a
total of $375,000. When an individual tract of land is only partly
within the boundaries of the national river, the Secretary may acquire
all of the tract by any of the above methods in order to avoid the
payment of severance costs. Land so acquired outside of the boundaries of
the national river may be exchanged by the Secretary for non-Federal
lands within the national river boundaries, and any portion of the
land not utilized for such exchanges may be disposed of in accordance
with the provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative
Services Act of 1949 (63 Stat. 377; 40 U.S.Ct 471 et seq.), as amended.
With the concurrence of the agency having custody thereof, any
Federal property within the boundaries of the national river may be
transferred without consideration to the administrative jurisdiction of the
Secretary for administration as part of the national river.
(b) Except for property which the Secretary determines to be
necessary for the purposes of administration, development, access or public
use, an owner or owners (hereafter referred to as "owner") of any
improved property which is used solely for noncommercial residential
purposes on the date of its acquisition by the Secretary or any owner
of lands used solely for agricultural purposes (including, but not limited
to, grazing) may retain, as a condition of the acquisition of such
property or lands, a right of use and occupancy of such property for
such residential or agricultural purposes. The term of the right
retained shall expire upon the death of the owner or the death of his
spouse, whichever occurs later, or in lieu thereof, after a definite term
which shall not exceed twenty-five years after the date of acquisition.
The owner shall elect, at the time of conveyance, the term of the right
Buffalo National River, Ark, Establishment,
Lands and waters, acquisition.
Retention rights.